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Thursday 21 December 2023
Livingston County Commercial Fisherman Sentenced to Five Years of Federal Probation for Lacey Act ViolationRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Livingston County, Kentucky man was sentenced to five years of probation for a Lacey Act violation involving the illegal harvesting and sale of shovelnose sturgeon roe.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark of the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, and Colonel Jeremy McQueary, Director of Law Enforcement for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources made the announcement.
Among other things, the Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to transport and sell fish that were taken in violation of any law or regulation of any state. Kentucky regulates fishing for sturgeon and its eggs, which are marketed as caviar. A violation of the Lacey Act constitutes a felony if the fish had a market value in excess of $350.
According to court documents, Charles Hopkins, 52, was sentenced to five years of probation for conspiring with others to sell shovelnose sturgeon that had been harvested in violation of Kentucky law. Hopkins was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine to the Lacey Act Reward Account and $348,613 in restitution to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
“I commend the work and collaboration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for their outstanding effort in investigating this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Those who seek to ignore laws designed to protect our natural resources should take note that our federal and state law enforcement partners will thoroughly investigate, and this office will aggressively prosecute, violations of federal law.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Leavenworth Man Indicted for Child Sexual Exploitation, Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Leavenworth, Kansas, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to child sexual exploitation and child pornography.
Antoine Askari Richardson, 25, was charged in a four-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, Dec. 19. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following Richardson’s arrest and initial court appearance.
The federal indictment alleges that Richardson enticed a minor victim in Missouri to engage in criminal sexual activity from Oct. 24, 2022, to March 1, 2023. The indictment also charges Richardson with one count of using the child victim to produce child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of distributing child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the Grain Valley, Mo., Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Las Vegas Resident Sentenced on Fraudulent Credit Card SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months’ probation with 6 months’ home confinement on his conviction of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Hector Ofelio Podio Gutierrez, 31, of Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to information presented to the court, Podio Gutierrez used counterfeit credit cards encoded with stolen bank account information to purchase MasterCard gift cards at Sam’s Club stores in the Pittsburgh area, as well as in Florida and California. During the month of December 2017, Podio Gutierrez and his codefendant, Yoandy Pou Torres, using an encoding device, created counterfeit credit cards, and then used the cards to make fraudulent gift card purchases totaling more than $382,000 at various Sam’s Club locations, approximately $170,000 of which were purchases conducted at Pittsburgh area stores.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that Podio Gutierrez, since his arrest and while on bond pending trial, had been living a productive and law abiding life, and had provided noteworthy support to his family and his community.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Secret Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gutierrez.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison for Threatening U.S. CongresswomanRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Michael David Fox was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine. Fox, 60, of Las Cruces, pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of threatening communication on Sept. 20, 2023.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, Fox left a voicemail for the office of a congresswoman for the District of Texas, calling her a “tranny and a pedophile” and threatening to “put a bullet” in her face. Law enforcement was able to trace the call to Fox.
On May 26, 2023, Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Fox at his residence in Las Cruces and he admitted to making the threat. Fox claimed to believe that transgender individuals had infiltrated the government and other institutions and that he was part of a movement aimed at “eradicating” those people.
At sentencing, the court found that Fox intentionally selected the congresswoman as a victim because he mistakenly believed she was transgender, and therefore the court applied a hate crime motivation enhancement to his sentence.
In his plea agreement, Fox acknowledged that he was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs when he made the call and that he was not merely making a political argument, idle talk, an exaggeration, or a joke.
“While everyone is entitled to believe irrational ideas, no belief entitles someone to threaten violence,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Hate crimes drive division and fear and we have no room for either. Federal law enforcement will stand up for our community by delivering very real consequences to very real threats, even when they are driven by fantasy.”
“Hate crimes are not only an attack on a victim; these violent acts threaten and intimidate an entire community.” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate crimes motivated by hate, and we will vigorously pursue those that commit them.”
Upon his release from prison, Fox will be subject to 3 years of supervised probation.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lindy Carpenter is prosecuting the case.
In response to growing incidents of hate, Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the Justice Department to develop the United Against Hate (UAH) community outreach program. Led by U.S. Attorneys, the program improves hate crime and incident reporting by teaching community members how to identify, report, and prevent acts of hate. The program also helps to build trust between community and law enforcement and strengthens local networks to combat unlawful acts of hate.
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Kentwood Residents Indicted for Fentanyl Conspiracy and DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that MICHAEL WHITE, age 44, and JOHN WHITE, age 44, both of Kentwood, Louisiana, were charged in a recently unsealed indictment with one (1) count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), and two (2) counts of Distribution of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
According to the indictment, MICHAEL WHITE and JOHN WHITE conspired with each other and with others, to distribute fentanyl. If found guilty of any of the three counts, they face a minimum of 5 years up to a maximum of 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to four years of supervised release. All three counts also carry a mandatory $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Fentanyl Overdose Response Team, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hammond Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
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Kentucky Man Gets 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district judge in southern Illinois sentenced a man from Paducah to serve 15 years in federal prison after he admitted to attempting to entice a purported 11-year-old child.
Michael M. Gott, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor. In addition to the 15-year prison sentence, Gott will serve five years of supervised release.
“Those who try to sexually abuse children deserve justice in proportion to the deviance of their behavior, which in this case was a significant federal prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The United States Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively prosecute minor enticement cases and do all we can to protect children.”
In March 2021, an undercover agent with the FBI conducted an investigation on an online dating discussion forum to detect child predators. According to court documents, Gott began conversing with the undercover agent who was posing as the mother of a purported 11-year-old child. During the conversation, Gott made plans with the mother to engage in sexual conduct with the minor child.
“This sentence reflects the serious nature of Gott’s offense and demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identify, investigate and arrest those intent on harming the most vulnerable members of our society,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “The FBI will continue our efforts to thwart attempts to entice children, because every offender that lands in custody represents another step toward a safer community and a safer world for our children.”
Gott was arrested by agents while attempting to meet the purported pair and escort them to a hotel room he had rented in Paducah, Kentucky.
FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Bloodworth and David Sanders prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Tampa, Florida, to Resolve Discrimination Allegations Related to Its Parental Leave PolicyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with the City of Tampa, Florida, to resolve the department’s lawsuit alleging that Tampa discriminated against its male employees who sought parental leave by denying them the same level of parental leave it offered to its female employees.
The alleged discrimination resulted in a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion and sex, including pregnancy policies, and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices.
“Providing paid parental leave to employees is a significant benefit that many families rely on so that they can take care of their children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement sends a clear message that in providing paid or unpaid parental leave, employers must guarantee that those benefits are provided without reliance on presumptions about which parent can be the primary caregiver. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to enforce federal civil rights laws and ensure that employers provide all employees leave benefits without discrimination.”
“Employers must grant parental leave benefits regardless of sex,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The resolution achieved in this case is a demonstration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s assurance to the community that employment discrimination based on a protected class, including sex, will not be tolerated.”
According to the complaint, the City of Tampa adopted a parental leave policy from February 2017 to December 2018 that in practice barred male employees from using up to 320 hours of parental leave available to female employees for the purpose of serving as “primary caregivers” of a new child. Instead, Tampa granted male employees only 80 hours of parental leave as “secondary caregivers,” even if they were actually the primary caregiver for the family’s new child. In the complaint, the Justice Department states that about 150 male employees were impacted by the parental leave policy and approved for secondary caregiver leave of up to 80 hours.
According to the complaint, at least 10 male employees formally requested primary caregiver leave and were denied the leave because of their sex, regardless of how much evidence they provided to Tampa to show that they were acting as the primary caregiver for the child, while others were discouraged from applying for primary caregiver leave by their supervisors or officials with the City’s Human Resources department. As the complaint states, men were consistently denied primary caregiver leave status, while Tampa regularly granted female caregivers the full 320 hours of primary caregiver leave.
Under the proposed consent decree, which is subject to court approval, Tampa will credit up to 240 hours of additional leave time to each of the male employees who would have taken primary caregiver parental leave if it had been available to them under the policy. Tampa will also pay the impacted employees collectively $300,000 in compensation. The consent decree also requires Tampa to adopt new policies and procedures, including a new parental leave policy that does not discriminate based on sex, and to provide its employees training on these new policies.
The United States’ complaint is based on a charge of discrimination filed with the Miami District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by one of Tampa’s employees impacted by the parental leave policy, Jeffrey Burger. The EEOC investigated and found reasonable cause to believe that Tampa violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred it to the Justice Department as an enforcement action.
“Parental leave policies should not reflect presumptions or stereotypes about gender roles,” said Director Tamra Schweiberger of the EEOC Tampa Field Office. “When it comes to providing leave for bonding with a new child or flexibility in returning to work from that leave, mothers and fathers should be treated equally.”
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey Morrison and Christine Dinan of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yohance A. Pettis for the Middle District of Florida handled this case.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit is part of a joint effort to enhance collaboration between the Department and the EEOC in the vigorous enforcement of Title VII. More information about the EEOC’s jurisdiction is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov. Additional information regarding caregiver discrimination is available in the EEOC technical assistance document found at EEOC Releases Information about Employment Discrimination Against Caregivers | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The enforcement of Title VII and other federal employment discrimination laws is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and its work is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
tampa_complaint_file_stamped.pdf tampa_consent_decree_file_stamped.pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement with City of Tampa to Resolve Discrimination Allegations Related to Its Parental Leave PolicyRead the Press Release
Note: View the complaint here. View the consent decree here.
Tampa, FL – The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with the City of Tampa, Florida, to resolve the department’s lawsuit alleging that Tampa discriminated against its male employees who sought parental leave by denying them the same level of parental leave it offered to its female employees.
The alleged discrimination resulted in a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion and sex, including pregnancy policies, and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices.
“Providing paid parental leave to employees is a significant benefit that many families rely on so that they can take care of their children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement sends a clear message that in providing paid or unpaid parental leave, employers must guarantee that those benefits are provided without reliance on presumptions about which parent can be the primary caregiver. The Justice Department is steadfast in its commitment to enforce federal civil rights laws and ensure that employers provide all employees leave benefits without discrimination.”
“Employers must grant parental leave benefits regardless of sex,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The resolution achieved in this case is a demonstration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s assurance to the community that employment discrimination based on a protected class, including sex, will not be tolerated.”
According to the complaint, the City of Tampa adopted a parental leave policy from February 2017 to December 2018 that in practice barred male employees from using up to 320 hours of parental leave available to female employees for the purpose of serving as “primary caregivers” of a new child. Instead, Tampa granted male employees only 80 hours of parental leave as “secondary caregivers,” even if they were actually the primary caregiver for the family’s new child. In the complaint, the Justice Department states that about 150 male employees were impacted by the parental leave policy and approved for secondary caregiver leave of up to 80 hours.
According to the complaint, at least 10 male employees formally requested primary caregiver leave and were denied the leave because of their sex, regardless of how much evidence they provided to Tampa to show that they were acting as the primary caregiver for the child, while others were discouraged from applying for primary caregiver leave by their supervisors or officials with the City’s Human Resources department. As the complaint states, men were consistently denied primary caregiver leave status, while Tampa regularly granted female caregivers the full 320 hours of primary caregiver leave.
Under the proposed consent decree, which is subject to court approval, Tampa will credit up to 240 hours of additional leave time to each of the male employees who would have taken primary caregiver parental leave if it had been available to them under the policy. Tampa will also pay the impacted employees collectively $300,000 in compensation. The consent decree also requires Tampa to adopt new policies and procedures, including a new parental leave policy that does not discriminate based on sex, and to provide its employees training on these new policies.
The United States’ complaint is based on a charge of discrimination filed with the Miami District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by one of Tampa’s employees impacted by the parental leave policy, Jeffrey Burger. The EEOC investigated and found reasonable cause to believe that Tampa violated Title VII. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred it to the Justice Department as an enforcement action.
“Parental leave policies should not reflect presumptions or stereotypes about gender roles,” said Director Tamra Schweiberger of the EEOC Tampa Field Office. “When it comes to providing leave for bonding with a new child or flexibility in returning to work from that leave, mothers and fathers should be treated equally.”
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey Morrison and Christine Dinan of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yohance A. Pettis for the Middle District of Florida handled this case.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit is part of a joint effort to enhance collaboration between the Department and the EEOC in the vigorous enforcement of Title VII. More information about the EEOC’s jurisdiction is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov. Additional information regarding caregiver discrimination is available in the EEOC technical assistance document found at EEOC Releases Information about Employment Discrimination Against Caregivers | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The enforcement of Title VII and other federal employment discrimination laws is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and its work is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
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Jury convicts Kansas City, Kansas man for shooting at law enforcementRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas man for taking part in a retaliatory shooting that injured two people, including a federal task force officer.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, G’Ante Butler, 24, of Kansas City, Kansas, was found guilty of one count of forcible assault on a federal law enforcement officer and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On August 3, 2020, Kansas City, Kansas police officers responded to a “shots fired” call on Farrow Avenue, where the defendant’s parents lived. Later that evening, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agents and federally deputized Task Force Officers (TFOs) went to North Allis Street and arrested one of the individuals responsible for the earlier Farrow Avenue residence shooting. After executing a search warrant at the North Allis Street residence, and as the officers were returning to their vehicles, multiple shooters began firing at them. The officers tried to immediately take cover, however, not before an officer and a civilian bystander were struck by gunfire.
Based on evidence gathered during the subsequent investigation, ATF agents learned the shooting was orchestrated by G’Ante Butler and other individuals in retaliation for the earlier incident on Farrow Avenue. Their plan was to shoot at the North Allis Street home and any individuals they encountered there. Officers later recovered approximately 101 casings and two live rounds (including 9mm, .40 caliber, .45 caliber, 5.56 caliber, and 7.62 caliber casings) from an alley west of the targeted North Allis Street home.
Co-defendants Nadarius Barnes, 24, Chase Lewis, 23, and Donnell L. Hall, 28, all of Kansas City, Kansas, each pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault on a federal law enforcement officer and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
A fifth defendant is scheduled to stand trial in February 2024.
“Gang members and their reckless violence are threats to the entire community, including those sworn to protect us. We are fortunate that the officer and the innocent bystander in this case didn’t lose their lives or suffer more serious injuries,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Those who think they can orchestrate gun battles in our streets without the U.S. Department of Justice pursuing severe legal consequences against them are mistaken.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra and Trent Krug are prosecuting the case.
OCDETF Strike Force Cases
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Kansas City Metro Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Western District of Missouri and District of Kansas. The OCDETF Kansas City Metro Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Kansas City, Missouri, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshal Service (USMS), the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Missouri (USAO-WDMO), the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas (USAO-KS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation Division (IRS/CID), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Kansas.###
Jamestown man pleads guilty to distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brandon G. Uber, 23, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that in March 2021, Uber sent a Snapchat user image and video files of a 16-year-old minor female victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Uber also received images and videos of child pornography from other users of social media applications. In addition, Uber had online conversations with another known minor female victim, during which he persuaded the victim to create sexually explicit videos of herself to send to him. Uber stored the child pornography he received and distributed on various electronic devices that were seized during the investigation, including two cell phones and two tablets.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2024, before Judge Arcara.
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Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Assault Materials ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Jamestown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Hank Thomas Fisher, 22, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from March 2020 to August 2021, Fisher distributed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Fisher also possessed thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Fisher.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Dwayne Eric Thompson (39, Jacksonville) to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Thompson was found guilty by a jury of this charge on July 11, 2023.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Thompson was arrested by Jacksonville Sherriff’s Officers and his car was searched. A loaded pistol was found in the center console. During the stop, Thompson and other passengers all denied knowledge and ownership of the firearm. DNA evidence presented at trial showed that Thompson’s DNA was present on the firearm and the loaded magazine.
Thompson is a multiple convicted felon, and at the time he possessed the firearm, he was on federal supervised release due to him previously possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Multiple NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced D’Trevious Sharron Epps (26, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Epps pleaded guilty on August 22, 2023.
According to court documents, Epps sold narcotics to different confidential informants both in Duval and Nassau Counties during September and October of 2022. On October 13, 2022, Epps was arrested by the Florida Highway Patrol while he was on his way to sell methamphetamine. He possessed at least 148 grams of methamphetamine, 19 grams of fentanyl, and 24 grams of cocaine, and three firearms. As part of his guilty plea, Epps agreed to forfeit the firearms seized by law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Indian Trail, N.C. Man Is Charged with Committing Fraud Using Stolen Identities of Military Service MembersRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment charging Shabazz Emmanuel McCarthan, 38, of Indian Trail, N.C., with committing fraud using the stolen identities of military service members was unsealed today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned the criminal indictment in October 2023. The indictment remained sealed until McCarthan’s arrest in Arizona yesterday. McCarthan had his initial appearance today in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, beginning no later than January 2019 through October 2019, McCarthan and his co-conspirators engaged in an extensive identity fraud scheme. As alleged in the indictment, McCarthan and others obtained personal identifying information (PII) of military service members and used their PII to manufacture fictitious forms of identification in the victims’ names. Then, McCarthan allegedly used these fictitious forms of identification to fraudulently open bank accounts, lease apartment units, purchase furniture, and rent multiple vehicles, that were subsequently stolen and transported in interstate and foreign commerce. The indictment alleges that, during the scheme, McCarthan and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained and attempted to obtain more than $250,000 in fraudulent goods and damaged the credit of military members, including at least one service member deployed overseas.
McCarthan is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; wire fraud, which has a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; financial institution fraud, which carries a statutory prison sentence of 30 years; interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, that has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and three counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for each charged offense consecutive to any other prison term imposed.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Illinois Nurse Charged with Tampering with Morphine Prescribed to PatientRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Illinois nurse removed liquid morphine prescribed to a patient and diluted it with another liquid, knowing the diluted substance would be dispensed to the patient, according to a federal indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
NICKOLE BUTLER was employed as a registered nurse at a skilled nursing facility. The indictment alleges that Butler tampered with the liquid morphine on May 16, 2021, with reckless disregard and extreme indifference for the risk that the patient would be placed in danger of bodily injury.
Butler, 40, of Byron, Ill., is charged with one count of tampering with a consumer product. She pleaded not guilty today during her arraignment in federal court in Chicago.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ronne Malham, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright.
“Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the legitimately prescribed medication and not a diluted substance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Health care practitioners who illicitly tamper with prescription drugs will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“U.S. consumers rely on the FDA to oversee the prescription drug supply chain and ensure that their medicines are safe and effective,” said FDA SAC Malham. “When that supply chain is breached, the public’s health is put at risk. We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who jeopardize consumers’ trust in their medications.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge in the indictment carries a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Butler indictmentIllegal Firearms Possession Lands Metro Man in Federal Prison for More Than a DecadeRead the Press Release
Defendant Led Law Enforcement on High-Speed Chase Following Home Invasion
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, ALLEN RAY IDELL, JR., 46, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 144 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 19, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Idell on one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. On February 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the indictment.
At a sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced Idell to serve 144 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Goodwin noted Idell’s dangerous conduct and the “extreme” nature of the offense, adding that Idell’s actions showed clear disrespect for both the law and for the safety of others. The Court also noted Idell’s criminal history.
At sentencing, the Court heard evidence that on September 15, 2022, Idell led authorities on a high-speed chase in a vehicle stolen from an 80-year-old woman, while armed with firearms stolen from that same woman. The pursuit ended after Idell crashed the vehicle into a private gate and ran inside an occupied residence. He was apprehended soon after.
Public records also reflect that Idell has multiple felony convictions, including second degree burglary and possession of stolen property in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2008-773, two counts of concealing stolen property and two counts of false declaration of ownership in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2009-59, second degree burglary in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2009-1112, and second degree burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia, and malicious injury to property in Oklahoma County District Court case number CR-2014-217.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Hamden Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Travel to Fight for ISISRead the Press Release
KEVIN IMAN McCORMICK, 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 144 months of imprisonment, followed a lifetime term of supervised release with monitoring of his electronic devices, for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Division made the announcement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August and October 2019, McCormick made several statements to others expressing a desire to travel to Syria and to fight for ISIS. In August 2019, McCormick stated to members of a Muslim community center that “we should support ISIS” and “jihad is the way to go.” In another conversation in October 2019, McCormick stated “I gotta fight bro, because those people, Abu Masa and ISIL, they fought for me bro, I know it, I can feel it, in my heart. So it’s my time to fight . . . It just is what it is bro, it’s just my – it’s just my time to go bro.” When McCormick was asked to elaborate on where he would like to travel, McCormick responded, “I don’t know, I don’t know bro – it’s gotta be like Syria. Where ISIL is at….whichever place is easiest, whatever place I can get there the fastest, the quickest, the easiest, and where I can have a rifle and I can have some people bro. That’s what I need, I need a rifle and I need some people, I need Islamic law, I need, that’s what I need, because if I have these things, it’s gonna to be very hard to kill me.”
On October 12, 2019, McCormick attempted to board a flight from Connecticut to Jamaica, but was prevented by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. McCormick subsequently told an individual that he wanted to travel to Jamaica, and then onward to Syria to join ISIS. He also indicated that he wanted to acquire weapons.
On October 19, 2019, McCormick made a video during which he pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Also on that date, he purchased a plane ticket from Toronto, Canada, to Amman, Jordan. On October 21, 2019, McCormick was arrested after he traveled to a small private airport in Connecticut where he expected to board a plane that would fly him to Canada.
McCormick has been detained since his arrest. On January 12, 2023, he pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
This matter was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) with the assistance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The FBI’s JTTF includes participants from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Norwich Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Town of Groton Police Department, Yale Police Department, and New York Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj Patel and Peter Jongbloed of the District of Connecticut, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and John Cella from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Grand jury indicts Buffalo man on charges of production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Mark Nash, 35, of Buffalo, NY, with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on three occasions between July 2021, and May 2022, Nash coerced Minor Victim 1 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. In addition, between July 2, 2021, and April 12, 2023, Nash possessed a cell phone containing sexually explicit images of Minor Victim 1.
The defendant was arraigned this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Fresno Man Admits He and Coconspirator Murdered Family of Five in Their Home, including Three ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 21, 2023
SAN DIEGO – Christopher Baltezar Hernandez of Fresno, California, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he and another man stalked and fatally shot a family of five – including three children - in their Tijuana home on December 3, 2021.
According to court records, Hernandez traveled from Fresno, California, to Tijuana, Mexico, through San Diego, armed with an assault rifle, .223 caliber ammunition, and two revolver speed loaders on December 3, 2021. That same day, Hernandez met up with codefendant Victor Aguilar, who has already pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Both Hernandez and Aguilar, armed with a .223 assault rifle and revolver and wearing dark clothes and gloves, traveled to the victims’ residence in Tijuana. According to the plea agreement, which identified the victims by their initials, the defendants shot and killed J.H. and her eight-year-old daughter, A.M.M., in the kitchen. G.M.V. was shot and killed while attempting to shield the other two children behind a bedroom door. The door was forced open and nine-year-old A.M. and four-year-old S.M. were each shot in the head.
Prior to the murders, Hernandez and Aguilar had researched the victims’ address and the surrounding area over 200 times. Hernandez also bought the parts and built a fully functional .223 caliber assault rifle as well as a pair of revolver speed loaders. On the day of the murders, Hernandez and Aguilar acquired a revolver in Tijuana, Mexico.
A sentencing hearing for Hernandez is scheduled for March 18, 2024, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez. Aguilar’s sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for June 26, 2024, also before Judge Lopez.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mario Peia, Matthew Brehm and Fred Sheppard.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr778-LL
Christopher Baltezar Hernandez Age: 27 Fresno, CA
Victor Armondo Aguilar Age: 22 Tijuana, MX
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Murder – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1117
Maximum penalty: Life in prison
Stalking Resulting in Death – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2261A
Maximum penalty: Life in prison
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Fort Hall Man Sentenced for Assault with a MacheteRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Cody Ray Preacher, 30, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 51 ½ months in federal prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, on August 15, 2022, Preacher attacked a woman at a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, causing serious bodily injury. Fort Hall police officers and an ambulance crew discovered the victim after receiving a call about a woman covered in blood walking down a street on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The woman was taken to the hospital for serious injuries to her knee and hand, which required surgery. At the hospital, the woman stated that she had been attacked at a residence and that her attacker was Preacher. A witness stated that Preacher told the victim to clean his house, and when she refused, Preacher struck the victim with a machete, with crutches, and with his hands.
The 51 ½ month sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye was in addition to the 5 ½ months that Preacher had already served in the tribal jail based upon the same conduct, resulting in a total of 57 months incarceration. Judge Nye also ordered Preacher to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Preacher pleaded guilty to the charge on September 26, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department, which led to charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted the case.
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Former Texas Police Lieutenant Sentenced to Nearly 13 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice 11-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Seth Estes Vanover (52, Diana, TX) to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison for attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity using an online social messaging app. Vanover was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit four iPhone devices. He had pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence discussed in open court, on July 25, 2022, an undercover FBI agent began an online operation designed to identify individuals seeking to meet with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as a person with access to an 11-year-old child, the undercover (UC) agent posted a notice on the app and was then contacted by a user named “jattleson,” later identified as Vanover. Vanover confirmed that he was “into yung” and sent the UC agent several photos depicting child erotica and a nude adult male. Vanover and the UC agent discussed the sexual experience of the purported “child.” Vanover stated that he would “love to” meet them in Florida and would “love to be naked with” the “child.” Vanover and the UC agent engaged in more online conversations in August and September 2022, during which the two discussed, among other things, meeting in Florida so that Vanover could molest the “child.” Vanover described in graphic detail the sexual acts that he (Vanover) intended to perform on the “child,” and he directed the UC agent to talk to and prepare the “child” for the intended sexual activity.
On October 12, 2022, FBI agents arrested Vanover at the Longview Police Department in Longview, Texas, and Vanover, a police lieutenant, resigned on that same day. Agents searched the patrol car used by Vanover and recovered a cellphone that belonged to Vanover. A search of Vanover’s phone revealed that it contained, among other things, at least 234 videos and 133 photos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants, toddlers, and other young children. This phone also contained sexually explicit online communications that Vanover had with other app users, as well as child sexual abuse videos and photos that Vanover had solicited and received during some of these conversations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance and cooperation of the Longview (Texas) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit
www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Swiss Executive Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Swiss national pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States for his role in a scheme to help high-net-worth U.S. taxpayers conceal their income and assets in offshore accounts.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rolf Schnellmann was the former head of Allied Finance Trust AG, a Zurich-based financial services company and a subsidiary of the Allied Finance Group in Liechtenstein. From approximately 2008 to 2014, Schnellmann and his co-conspirators defrauded the IRS by concealing income and assets of high-net-worth U.S. taxpayer-clients in undeclared bank accounts at Privatbank IHAG Zurich AG (IHAG), a Swiss private bank.
Schnellmann and his co-conspirators devised and implemented a scheme dubbed the “Singapore Solution” to fraudulently conceal the bank accounts of the U.S. taxpayer-clients, their assets and their income from U.S. authorities. As part of the scheme, Schnellmann and his co-conspirators conspired to transfer more than $60 million from the U.S. taxpayer-clients’ undeclared IHAG bank accounts through a series of nominee accounts in Hong Kong and other locations before returning the funds to newly opened accounts at IHAG in the name of a Singapore-based asset-management firm that a co-conspirator helped establish. The U.S. taxpayer-clients paid large fees to IHAG and others to help them conceal their funds and assets and evade taxes.
Schnellmann was arrested in August in Italy and extradited to the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York and James C. Lee, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
IRS-CI is investigating the case. Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Williams also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Interpol, Italian law enforcement authorities, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Trieste and the Italian Ministry of Justice for their assistance in the extradition of the defendant.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nannette Davis of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Former Swiss Executive Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, announced that ROLF SCHNELLMANN, a Swiss former executive, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with a scheme to help high-value U.S. taxpayer-clients conceal more than $60 million in income and assets held in undeclared, offshore bank accounts and to evade U.S. income taxes. SCHNELLMANN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
According to the allegations in the Indictment, court filings, and statements made in Court:
SCHNELLMANN was the former head of Allied Finance Trust AG, a Zurich-based financial services company that was a subsidiary of the Allied Finance Group in Liechtenstein. From in or about 2008 to in or about 2014, SCHNELLMANN and his co-conspirators defrauded the IRS by concealing income and assets of high-value U.S. taxpayer-clients with undeclared bank accounts at Privatbank IHAG Zurich AG (“IHAG”), a Swiss private bank. In order to assist the U.S. taxpayer-clients, SCHNELLMANN and his co-conspirators devised and implemented a scheme dubbed the “Singapore Solution” to fraudulently conceal the bank accounts of the U.S. taxpayer-clients, their assets, and their income from U.S. authorities. In furtherance of the fraudulent scheme, SCHNELLMANN and his co-conspirators conspired to transfer more than $60 million from undeclared IHAG bank accounts of the U.S. taxpayer-clients through a series of nominee bank accounts in Hong Kong and other locations before returning the funds to newly opened accounts at IHAG in the name of a Singapore-based asset-management firm that a co-conspirator helped establish. The U.S. taxpayer-clients paid large fees to IHAG and others to help them conceal their funds and assets and evade taxes.
SCHNELLMANN was arrested in August 2023 in Italy and extradited to the United States.
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SCHNELLMANN, 61, of Switzerland, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. SCHNELLMANN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Woods on July 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as SCHNELLMANN’s sentence will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, Interpol, Italian law enforcement authorities, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Trieste, and the Italian Ministry of Justice for their assistance in the extradition of the defendant. Mr. Williams thanked the Department of Justice’s Tax Division for their partnership on this case.
This prosecution is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich and Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution.
Former State Employee and Her Husband Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Unlawfully Produce Tennessee Driver's LicenceRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On December 21, 2023, Cheryl Huff, 49, of Knoxville, and Mario Paz-Mejia, 50, of Knoxville, who are married, entered guilty pleas in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to one count of conspiracy to produce, without lawful authority, identification documents or false identification documents. Sentencing has been set for May 24, 2024, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer in the United States District Court at Knoxville.
Huff and Paz-Mejia each face a term of up to 15 years in Federal prison, $250,000 in fines, and supervised release of three years.
As part of their written plea agreements filed with the court on March 1, 2023, Huff and Paz-Mejia waived an indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty for their role in a conspiracy to produce hundreds of false Tennessee driver’s licenses and identification cards for individuals who were not qualified under Tennessee law to receive them.
According to the plea agreements filed with the court, Huff was a District Manager for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDSHS), which issues Tennessee driver’s licenses and identification cards at various Driver Service Centers (DSC) across Tennessee. Huff managed and supervised DSC employees in the Greater Knoxville area and had authority to issue driver’s licenses and application cards.
Paz-Mejia recruited individuals who were neither citizens of the United States nor residents of Tennessee who wanted to acquire a Tennessee driver’s license or identification card. Using his association with Huff, Paz-Mejia represented to his customers that, in return for $2,500, Paz-Mejia could obtain for them a Tennessee driver’s license or identification card. Paz-Mejia also assisted his customers in obtaining false citizenship and residency documents—two requirements to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license—including fraudulent lease agreements to establish proof of Tennessee residency, and false birth certificates, Social Security cards, and driver’s licenses from other states and U.S. territories to establish proof of citizenship or legal residency in the United States.
Huff knew, or deliberately ignored a high probability, that Paz-Mejia was helping his customers obtain false citizenship and residency documents and that Paz-Mejia charged his customers money to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license or identification card.
Huff used her access to TDSHS’s internal software to confirm that the names and information on the false citizenship and residency documents used by Paz-Mejia’s customers could be used to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license or identification card. For example, on June 23, 2021, Paz-Mejia texted Huff the name, date of birth, and personal information used on false identification documents, asking Huff to “check that please.” Huff responded, “All of these are not on file. They’re good.”
After Paz-Mejia’s customers acquired false citizenship and residency documents, Paz-Mejia arranged to meet them at a Knoxville-area DSC before business hours. With Huff’s assistance, Paz-Mejia escorted his customers into DSCs before business hours, including through a backdoor employee-only entrance. Once Paz-Mejia and his customers were inside, Huff initiated driver’s license applications for the customers using TDSHS software. Huff also instructed subordinate DSC employees to complete applications and issue driver’s licenses to many of Paz-Mejia’s customers.
“Abusing a position of public trust to commit any federal crime, including conspiracy to unlawfully produce false identification documents, undermines the public’s confidence in government functions and creates a serious security risk,” said United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office will aggressively prosecute government employees who abuse their trusted employment positions for personal gain.”
“I am deeply disappointed in the actions of a former Tennessee Driver Services District Manager and others who betrayed the trust and tarnished the reputation of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security,” said Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long. “I want to thank the departmental employees for having the courage to alert and cooperate with the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Criminal Investigation Division on this case involving one of their co-workers. Our agency cooperates and works closely with federal law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”
This prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Criminal Investigation Division, the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Secret Service.
William A. Roach, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney, represented the United States.
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Former City of Chicago Alderman Convicted on Federal Racketeering, Bribery, and Extortion ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury today convicted former City of Chicago Alderman EDWARD M. BURKE on racketeering, bribery, and extortion charges for abusing his position while an alderman to solicit and extort private legal work and other benefits from companies and individuals with business before the city.
Burke, 79, of Chicago, was found guilty on 13 counts: racketeering; corruptly soliciting, demanding, accepting, or agreeing to accept things of value; using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity; and attempted extortion. A co-defendant, real estate developer CHARLES CUI, 52, of Lake Forest, Ill., was found guilty on five counts: corruptly offering or agreeing to give things of value; using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity; and knowingly making a false statement to the FBI. A third defendant, PETER J. ANDREWS, 74, of Chicago, an aide in Burke’s 14th Ward office, was acquitted of all charges against him.
U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall set sentencing for June 17, 2024, for Cui, and June 19, 2024, for Burke. The racketeering and extortion counts are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. The counts for corruptly soliciting and accepting things of value are punishable by up to ten years, while the maximum for both using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity and making a false statement to the FBI is five years.
The verdicts were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The City of Chicago Inspector General’s Office and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, Timothy Chapman, and Sushma Raju, as well as Amarjeet Bhachu, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Public Corruption Section.
Evidence at the six-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago revealed that Burke corruptly solicited work for his private law firm from companies involved in redevelopment projects at the Old Main Post Office in downtown Chicago and a Burger King restaurant on the city’s Southwest Side. Burke also corruptly attempted to assist Cui with a development on the city’s Northwest Side shortly after Cui told Burke that he would hire Burke’s private law firm, Klafter & Burke, for legal work. Klafter & Burke specialized in seeking property tax reductions for corporate clients.
The evidence further revealed that Burke threatened to oppose an admission fee increase at the Field Museum in Chicago because the museum failed to respond to Burke’s inquiry about obtaining an internship at the museum for a child of Burke’s friend.
Cui was convicted of steering the private legal work to Burke in an effort to influence and reward him in connection with permitting and tax increment financing for Cui’s development.
The corruption schemes occurred in 2016, 2017, and 2018, while Burke was Alderman of the 14th Ward and Chairman of the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee. Burke served in the City Council from 1969 until earlier this year.
Former Cincinnati city councilman sentenced to 24 months in prison for accepting bribesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A former Cincinnati city councilman was sentenced in federal court here today to 24 months in prison for honest services wire fraud.
While serving as a city councilman in fall 2018, Jeffrey Pastor, 39, of Cincinnati, received a $15,000 cash bribe in return for his official action to advance development projects in the city.
According to court documents, in September 2018 Pastor and his associate flew to Miami, Florida, on a private plane to meet with investors regarding a real estate development project. Pastor never paid for or disclosed the trip. During the trip, Pastor explained he would ensure favorable action on behalf of the city for the project and could receive money through his associate’s non-profit entity (which had been incorporated two weeks prior). Pastor discussed “compensation” and agreed to accept $15,000 for helping with the project. He said the purpose of his associate’s entity was to “sanitize” the money.
After flying back to Cincinnati, Pastor called the investor to “negotiate a monthly retainer” and said that $15,000 would be the retainer fee for providing official action.
On Oct. 4, 2018, Pastor accepted $15,000 in cash. After receiving the money, Pastor continued to solicit bribes on multiple occasions for an eight-month period.
Pastor and Tyran Marshall were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020. Pastor pleaded guilty in June 2023 and Marshall pleaded guilty in December 2023.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Deputy Criminal Chief Emily N. Glatfelter and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Singer are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Car Salesman Sentenced for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A former car salesman was sentenced today for money laundering and concealing illegal proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Stacy Germain Dotson, 48, of Tulsa to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Dotson to pay $16,000 in restitution.
According to his plea agreement, Dotson and co-worker, William Ray Turner created a scheme to defraud a Chevrolet dealership. Turner would create phony sales with stolen identities. Once the phony sale was approved, Dotson would help Turner transport the vehicle off the lot to sale to a third party. Dotson or Turner would then receive payment for the stolen vehicle as well as commission.
Turner plead guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay $417,526.66 in restitution.
Dotson was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The U.S. Secret Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Bartlesville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi prosecuted the case.
Former Belleville Attorney Indicted in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury returned an eleven-count indictment charging a former attorney for multiple instances of wire fraud in which he is alleged to have embezzled more than an estimated $1 million from a Belleville law firm and its client trust account.
Jason R. Caraway, 49, is facing 11 counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Caraway could face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines per count.
“Attorneys have a duty to protect their clients’ interests and must be held to the highest ethical standard,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Those who are overcome by greed and use their professional positions to embezzle from their employers and steal from innocent people will answer to the rule of law.”
Caraway was a partner at Caraway, Fisher & Broombaugh, P.C., a personal injury law firm in Belleville. According to the indictment, Caraway had control of the firm’s bank accounts and misappropriated funds by improperly spending client funds on personal and business expenses, issuing checks to himself, accepting settlements without client notification or payment, failing to pay medical lienholders from legal proceeds, and misapplying retainers without authorization.
“A lawyer, as an officer of the legal system, should demonstrate respect for our laws and protect the interests of the clients he represents,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “When a lawyer chooses to enrich himself by stealing client funds, the FBI will work to hold him accountable.”
The indictment outlines 11 alleged situations in which Caraway embezzled funds. In two instances, Caraway is accused of forging the signature of two St. Clair County judges on phony court documents to further his fraud scheme.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.
Former Army lieutenant colonel pleads guilty to possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Dec. 20, Edgar Ali Cerda, 49, of Cooper City, Florida, a former Army lieutenant colonel pleaded guilty in federal district court in Fort Lauderdale to possession of child pornography. At the time of the crimes, Cerda was employed with the United States Army.
On March 10, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a residential search warrant at Cerda’s home. An examination of Cerda’s electronic devices revealed multiple images and videos depicting sexual exploitation of children under 12 years of age, with one victim as young as four years old. Forensic evidence also revealed that Cerda shared some of the images within a group chat. Law enforcement officers arrested Cerda, who was home at the time.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. Cerda faces up to 20 years in federal prison and up to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) announced the guilty plea.
FBI Miami and BSO investigated the case with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay J. Alexander is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60115.
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Florida Man Sentenced for Illegally Distributing over $16M of Adulterated HIV MedicationRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Florida man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for his role in a nationwide scheme to illegally distribute at least $16.7 million of adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country.
According to court documents, Armando Herrera, 43, of Miami, and his co-conspirators established companies in Florida, Texas, Washington, and California, which they used to sell and distribute adulterated prescription drugs, primarily HIV medications, to wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers. Herrera and his co-conspirators created false documentation to make it appear as though the drugs were acquired legitimately when, in fact, they were not. The pharmaceutical suppliers then sold the drugs to pharmacies, which dispensed the adulterated prescription drugs to unwitting patients. As part of the investigation, federal agents seized more than $1.5 million worth of adulterated prescription drugs from Herrera, including more than 16,000 tablets of adulterated and misbranded HIV medication.
Herrera pleaded guilty on Sept. 25 to one count of conspiracy to introduce adulterated and misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and the FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderón for the Southern District of Florida handled asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
You may find related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20264.
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Felon Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Christopher Evans, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced December 21, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Evans to 24 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Evans’ release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On January 29, 2022, Omaha police officers observed a vehicle fail to signal its turn. Officers conducted a traffic stop and upon contact with the vehicle observed an open container of alcohol in Evans’ lap and another open container in the center console. Co-defendant Bath Kuol was seated in the front passenger seat and Evans was the driver. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a Glock 19x 9mm handgun with a loaded 33 round magazine inside of the center console.
Evans admitted to law enforcement that he knew the firearm was in the vehicle and admitted to handling it. Prior to January 29, 2022, Evans had been convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance.
Bath Kuol was sentenced on February 17, 2023, to 63 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man and woman on COVID fraud chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Damone Hennings, 31, and Analyse Spencer, 23, both of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between on or about August 11, and September 7, 2020, Hennings and Spencer conspired to illegally obtain pandemic related benefits from the New York State Department of Labor. Hennings and Spencer used false identification information, including the social security numbers of other individuals, to submit 10 applications to state labor department. As a result, Hennings and Spencer received 10 debit cards containing federal funds that they were not entitled to receive. Hennings and Spencer attempted to obtain $412,606, but actually obtained approximately $362,268.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Linder.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Jury Convicts Massachusetts Man of Kidnapping and Interstate Violation of a Protective OrderRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Brighton, Massachusetts man was found guilty on Wednesday of kidnapping and transporting a woman into Maine against her will. The verdict came after a three-day trial in the U.S. District Court in Portland with Chief Judge Jon D. Levy presiding.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on December 15, 2019, Stephen Pilson, 56, drove the victim, with whom he had a relationship, from Massachusetts to Maine against her will. Throughout the trip, Pilson drank heavily and told the victim they were going to Canada where she would die. He tied the victim to the vehicle’s gear shift with her scarf and struck her when she tried to escape. On I-95 near Arundel, she succeeded in breaking the vehicle’s key off in the ignition, forcing Pilson to pull over. The victim fled along the highway with Pilson initially following her before fleeing into the woods. Maine State Troopers were alerted to the incident by at least five concerned motorists who each called 911. Troopers later found Pilson with the aid of a K-9.
On December 12, 2019, three days before the kidnapping, Pilson had pleaded guilty in Waltham District Court to five charges, including kidnapping the same victim, for which he had been sentenced to time served and probation. A no-contact order was also imposed, prohibiting Pilson from contacting the victim. The federal jury found Pilson guilty of interstate violation of a protection order for violating the Massachusetts order.
Pilson faces up to life in prison and a fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available via the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or via the Hotline’s website at https://www.thehotline.org/. Mainers experiencing domestic violence can also contact the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) at 1-866-834-HELP (4357). The MCEDV website, https://www.mcedv.org/, also has information about member organizations all over the state.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man for Bank Robbery and Possession of a Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned a five-count indictment on November 21, 2023, charging a Louisville man with three bank robberies, possession of a firearm during a bank robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Corey D. Ware, 28, was charged with three bank robberies, possession of a firearm during a bank robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On September 16, 2022, Ware robbed two banks in Jefferson County. On September 22, 2022, Ware possessed a firearm and robbed another bank in Jefferson County. Ware possessed the firearm after having previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On December 20, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Ware, was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree (three counts), trafficking in a controlled substance, second degree, and trafficking in marijuana with a firearm.
The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Ware remains in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by LMPD, FBI, and HSI with assistance from the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Shannon is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Hastings Resident for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, PA - A resident of Hastings, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of narcotics trafficking, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Penny Woodley, age 55.
According to the Indictment, the defendant possessed with the intent to distribute and distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine on three separate dates.
The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and up to life, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Homeland Security Investigations.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Essex County Woman Charged with Stealing over $1 Million in Federal Retirement Benefits Intended for Deceased AuntRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, woman was arrested today for allegedly stealing over $1 million of federal benefits meant for her deceased aunt over a 25-year period, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Janis Miller, 77, of South Orange, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. She appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 1998, Miller’s aunt died. Unaware of her death, the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) paid approximately $1.01 million in retirement and survivor benefits to the bank account of Miller’s deceased aunt. By debit card, cash withdrawals, and forged checks made out to a company Miller controlled, Miller unlawfully disbursed virtually all of those embezzled funds. In 2022, to continue her unlawful receipt of the benefits, Miller, in a telephone conversation with an SSA employee, impersonated her deceased aunt and provided her aunt’s approximate birthdate. OPM and SSA discovered the fraud and discontinued the benefits in 2023, around 25 years after Miller began stealing those benefits.
The count of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of the greatest of either $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott, and U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Paul Kimball, with the investigation leading to today’s charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
miller.complaint.pdfDurant Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Durant man pleaded guilty to bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Curtis Lee Williams, 21, robbed the BankPlus branch in Durant on July 7, 2022, wearing all black, sunglasses, a wig, and no shoes. The same day, one of the $50 bait bills from the bank was used to purchase three firearms from a pawn shop in Kosciusko. An arrest was made in Durant later that day following a traffic stop.
Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 4, 2023.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durant Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Drug Trafficking Ring Distributing Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Dismantled, Six Charged with Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A superseding criminal indictment has been unsealed in U.S. District Court, charging six members of a drug trafficking ring with conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine and related drug or gun charges, announced Dena J. King U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service deputies, and officers with the Hickory Police Department (HPD) arrested four defendants earlier this week. Two defendants were already in custody.
“My Office has an important mission: to ensure the safety of our communities. We do that when we confront drug trafficking and drug-fueled violence head on, with the full support of our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney King.
“Drug trafficking fuels a great deal of the gun violence in our communities,” said Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF in Charlotte. “That’s why these collaborative efforts are so critical. When we can disrupt drug trafficking networks, we’re not just removing drugs from our streets. We’re recovering firearms and preventing violent gun crime.”
“We are grateful for the continued partnerships that produce these kinds of impactful results in our community. Working together has proven to be one of the most effective ways to make a real difference in reducing these kinds of drug and gun crimes,” said Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department.
The indictment is the result of a 10-month joint ATF and HPD investigation aimed at reducing drug distribution and drug-induced criminal activity in Catawba County and surrounding areas, including in Mecklenburg County. According to allegations in the indictment, filed court documents, and court proceedings, the drug trafficking ring operated out of Hickory, North Carolina, and distributed large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the area. To identify the drug conspirators and their operations, ATF agents and HPD officers utilized controlled drug purchases, conducted physical surveillance, and executed search warrants. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that members of the drug ring allegedly used several residences either as “stash houses” to store drugs and/or guns, or to conduct drug sales and other drug trafficking activities. One of the alleged stash houses was located two blocks from the federal courthouse in Charlotte.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 4.5 kilograms of fentanyl, over 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than 200 pounds of marijuana. Law enforcement also seized seven firearms used by some of the traffickers to support their drug distribution, including an AR-15 rifle and a privately made firearm or “ghost gun,” and ammunition.
The superseding indictment charges the six defendants with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Their names and additional charges are:
- Ashton Durrell Farley, also known as Hood, 35, of Hickory, is charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Farley allegedly engaged in the charged criminal activity while he was under federal and state court supervision for prior drug-related offenses.
- Dustin Eric Wilson, 36, of Charlotte, is charged with multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Whitney Necole Bryant, 30, of Hickory, is charged with distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Tonya Quantina Jackson, also known as New York, 42, of Hickory, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distribution of fentanyl.
- Harold Marquis Wilfong, 36, of Hickory, is charged with distribution of fentanyl.
- Thomas Eugene Ikard, 44, of Lenoir, N.C., is charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making the announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the ATF, HPD, and the Catawba County Sheriff's Office for their investigative efforts and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their invaluable assistance with the arrests.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Ryan Goodrich, 38, of Athens, Vermont, was sentenced in the United States District Court in Rutland on December 20, 2023, following his guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Goodrich to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
According to court records, Vermont Game Wardens began an investigation of Goodrich in late winter of 2022 for violations of fish and wildlife regulations. During their investigation, the wardens obtained a search warrant for Goodrich’s Facebook account, which revealed a photograph of a short-barrel shotgun. The messages within the account revealed Goodrich had discharged the weapon and likely possessed it at his residence. The wardens coordinated with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to execute a search warrant at Goodrich’s residence on March 3, 2022. During the search, agents located the short-barrel shotgun (which was loaded), multiple additional shotguns, multiple rifles (including an AR-style rifle), 2,978 rounds of ammunition, $6,000 in U.S. Currency, and 880 bags of heroin. The short-barrel shotgun was subject to registration with the National Firearms Act however, it was not properly recorded. Documents in Ryan Goodrich’s name were also found in the camper, although he was not there when the search warrant was executed.
After the warrant was executed, a federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 10, 2022. Agents attempted to locate Goodrich in and around Athens, and in doing so, encouraged people who knew him to have Goodrich turn himself in to law enforcement. Goodrich did not do so. On April 9, 2022, Keene, New Hampshire Police located Goodrich at a hotel in Keene. Officers obtained a search warrant for the hotel room, but Goodrich was not inside when it was executed. Agents found evidence of Goodrich’s prior presence, including personal paperwork in a backpack. On April 19, 2022, law enforcement learned that Goodrich was attempting to obtain transportation to Texas. Goodrich was subsequently located and apprehended at a hotel in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Following Goodrich’s arrest, investigators obtained a federal search warrant for certain social media information used by Goodrich. When law enforcement executed that warrant, they found various messages that demonstrated that in March 2022, Goodrich was involved in drug trafficking.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. He also thanked the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Deerfield, Massachusetts Police Department, and the Greenfield, Massachusetts Police Department for their assistance in locating and apprehending Goodrich.
Colonel Justin Stedman from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Division of Warden Service stated: “The Vermont Warden Service is grateful to our federal partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for being so willing to assist us in building and prosecuting this case. It is a shining example of what law enforcement can accomplish when we work together with the goal of seeing justice served.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ophardt, Paul Van de Graaf, and Zachary Stendig investigated and prosecuted the case. Goodrich is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Dover Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill Three Presidential CandidatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Dover man has been indicted in connection with sending threatening text messages to three presidential candidates, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Tyler Anderson, 30, was charged with three counts of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. Anderson was arrested on December 9, 2023, and he made an initial appearance in federal court on December 11, 2023. On December 14, 2023, the Court released him on conditions.
According to the charging documents, Anderson sent a series of threatening text messages to three separate presidential campaigns going back to November 2023. On November 22, 2023, Anderson threatened to “impale” and “disembowel” one candidate. On December 6, 2023, Anderson threatened a second candidate in a series of text messages, including that he would “blow” the head off of the candidate and conduct a “mass shooting.” On December 8, 2023, Anderson threatened via text message that he would “blow” the “brains out” of a third candidate and “kill everyone” who would attend a then-upcoming campaign event.
Each charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover Police Department and the Portsmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Connecticut Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Attempting to Travel to Fight for ISISRead the Press Release
Kevin Iman McCormick, 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 144 months of in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August and October 2019, McCormick made several statements to others expressing a desire to travel to Syria and to fight for ISIS. In August 2019, McCormick stated to members of a Muslim community center that “we should support ISIS” and “jihad is the way to go.” In another conversation in October 2019, McCormick stated, “I gotta fight bro, because those people, Abu Masa and ISIL, they fought for me bro, I know it, I can feel it, in my heart. So it’s my time to fight . . . It just is what it is bro, it’s just my – it’s just my time to go bro.” When McCormick was asked to elaborate on where he would like to travel, McCormick responded, “I don’t know, I don’t know bro – it’s gotta be like Syria. Where ISIL is at….whichever place is easiest, whatever place I can get there the fastest, the quickest, the easiest, and where I can have a rifle and I can have some people bro. That’s what I need, I need a rifle and I need some people, I need Islamic law, I need, that’s what I need, because if I have these things, it’s gonna to be very hard to kill me.”
On Oct. 12, 2019, McCormick attempted to board a flight from Connecticut to Jamaica but was prevented by the Department of Homeland Security. McCormick subsequently told an individual that he wanted to travel to Jamaica, and then onward to Syria to join ISIS. He also indicated that he wanted to acquire weapons.
On Oct. 19, 2019, McCormick made a video during which he pledged allegiance to ISIS and its then-leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Also on that date, he purchased a plane ticket from Toronto, Canada, to Amman, Jordan. On Oct. 21, 2019, McCormick was arrested after he traveled to a small private airport in Connecticut where he expected to board a plane that would fly him to Canada.
McCormick has been detained since his arrest. On Jan. 12, he pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the FBI New Haven Field Office made the announcement.
This FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) investigated the case with the assistance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The FBI’s JTTF includes participants from Homeland Security Investigations, IRS – Criminal Investigation Division, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Norwich Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Town of Groton Police Department, Yale Police Department, and New York Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj Patel and Peter Jongbloed for the District of Connecticut, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Connecticut Man Sentenced for Receiving over $919,000 in Bribes from ContractorsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man who held positions involving facility maintenance at three collegiate institutions was sentenced yesterday for receiving $919,066 of bribes in exchange for directing contracts to favored contractors.
Floyd Young, 53, of Shelton, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to eight months in prison. Young was also ordered to pay restitution of $919,066 to the collegiate institutions and forfeiture of $919,066. In August 2020, Young pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Young held positions involving facility maintenance at three collegiate institutions, including American International College, located in Springfield. Young steered contracts for construction, repair, maintenance, and other work for the collegiate institutions to favored contractors who paid him bribes, typically in the amount of 15% of the contract. The contractors inflated the amount of the invoices submitted to the collegiate institutions in order to be repaid the cost of the bribe payment made to Young. In addition, as contractors received payments for work done at the collegiate institutions, they paid Young bribes on a periodic basis. On occasion, Young and the contractors arranged for no-work invoices to be submitted to the collegiate institutions and then split the payment.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Christian County Woman Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Christian County, Kentucky, woman was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, followed by an additional 1 year and 6 months in prison for violating a previous term of federal supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Hopkinsville Police Chief Jason Newby made the announcement.
According to court documents, Ahgeana Bailey, 29, of Hopkinsville, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. At the time she committed this offense, Bailey was on federal supervised release for a 2019 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. She was sentenced to an additional 1 year and 6 months in prison for violating the terms of her supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Central Coast Man Previously Charged in Bribery Scheme Faces New Federal Charges of Defrauding Investors in Real Estate DealRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An executive at a San Luis Obispo-based real estate development company who was previously charged with paying a county supervisor nearly $100,000 in bribes has been named in a superseding indictment that alleges a scheme to defraud investors in a Texas real estate project, the Justice Department announced today.
Ryan Wright, 37, a.k.a. “Ryan Petetit,” of Grover Beach, was named in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury Wednesday afternoon. The new indictment adds 14 counts of wire fraud, three counts of attempted bank fraud and one count of access device fraud. The initial three-count indictment in this case, which was filed in October 30, alleged that Wright paid bribes and engaged in a cover-up.
There is a May 14, 2024 trial date scheduled in this case.
The fraud scheme alleged in the superseding indictment relates to a proposal to develop luxury homes in Dripping Springs, Texas. Over the course of two years – from October 2021 through October 2023, when Wright knew he was under investigation in the alleged corruption scheme – Wright allegedly solicited funds for the real estate development and diverted investors’ money to pay for criminal defense attorneys retained in connection with the bribery investigation, as well as for personal expenses, including a luxury condominium in Beverly Hills.
The indictment alleges that Wright continued to solicit investor funds even after the real estate deal collapsed in August 2022. The total amount raise from investors was approximately $2 million.
Wright is also charged with fraudulently seeking over $24 million in financing for the real estate deal after the project fell apart, which included causing an account to be opened in the company’s name and temporarily inflating it with funds not intended for the project in order to deceive the lender into believing the company had sufficient cash to close on the loan.
The indictment goes on to alleges that Wright fraudulently obtained credit in 2023 by using a business associate’s credit rating to obtain access devices (credit cards). Wright fraudulently accessed approximately $450,000, some of which was spend on “Las Vegas hotel rooms, sporting events, plastic surgery, and payments to criminal defense attorneys retained in connection with the government’s federal corruption investigation,” the indictment states.
The corruption and obstruction-related charges in the initial indictment remain in the superseding indictment. Those charges relate to allegations that Wright and his company paid money and gifts totaling more than $95,000 to a San Luis Obispo County supervisor who advocated for Wright’s real estate development company’s projects and prospective projects with City of San Luis Obispo officials, and who also voted for Wright’s company’s projects while on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. The indictment further alleges that Wright took efforts to obstruct the federal investigation into these bribery allegations, including causing his company to produce a falsified business record in response to a federal grand jury subpoena.
Wright is currently in custody after being ordered detained after his arrest in late October. No date has been scheduled yet for his arraignment on the superseding indictment.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The corruption conspiracy count carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, the obstruction of justice count has a maximum sentence of 10 years, the falsification of records count carries up to 20 years, the wire fraud counts have a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years, the attempted bank fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years, and the maximum sentence for the access device fraud charges is 10 years.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. O’Brien and Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Carjacking Leads to 9 1/2 Years in Prison for St. Louis ManRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine E. Perry on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis, Missouri man who stole a car at gunpoint in 2022 to nine and one-half years in prison.
Demetrius Nettles, 49, pleaded guilty in September to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Nettles admitted approaching a woman in the 4600 block of Dewey Avenue, in the Dutchtown neighborhood, on May 15, 2022. Nettles demanded the victim’s keys before pointing a revolver at her stomach. Nettles then drove off in the woman’s 2020 Hyundai Elantra. Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department spotted the car on Kingshighway Boulevard at Natural Bridge Avenue and conducted a traffic stop. They then arrested Nettles, who had a loaded Taurus .38 Special revolver in his waistband.
In a letter to Judge Perry, the victim said she was packing her car to go to a picnic and planned to offer Nettles a sandwich, a bottle of water and a job before noticing the gun pointed at her stomach.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
California man sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexually exploiting minor, possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man who traveled to Ohio to engage in sex acts with a 14-year-old he met online was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 204 months in prison.
Kameron E. Tolbert, 28, of Suisin City, California, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2022, law enforcement was dispatched to a home in Jackson, Ohio after Tolbert had jumped through the minor victim’s bedroom window when he was discovered in her bedroom by family members. Tolbert fled on foot and then by vehicle.
The next day, the principal at the victim’s local high school identified Tolbert’s vehicle in the school parking lot and notified a school resource officer who detained Tolbert at the school. Tolbert admitting being there at the school to see the minor victim.
Tolbert had first met the victim online six months prior and began chatting with her via different social media applications, including Discord. He admitted to flying from Sacramento, California, to Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 20, 2022, to meet the victim at her home in Jackson. Tolbert parked nearby her residence and snuck into the victim’s home through her bedroom window to avoid security cameras at the front door. He admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with her at her home on August 21 and August 22.
A forensic examination of Tolbert’s digital devices revealed more than 500 images and 1,100 videos depicting child sexual abuse of both prepubescent and pubescent minors. Images and videos of the 14-year-old minor victim engaged in sex acts with Tolbert were also recovered.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati division; and Jackson County Sheriff Tedd Frazier announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
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California Drug Dealer Who Shipped Methamphetamine by Mail to Iowa Sentenced to over Two Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who absconded from state court parole in Iowa for a drug trafficking offense was sentenced on December 20, 2023, to over 20 years in federal prison for participating in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
Todd Alan Skalberg, age 57, from Osmond, Nebraska, received the prison term after a June 30, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after having previously been convicted of a serious drug felony.
Skalberg, who was living in California, sent multiple pounds of “ice” methamphetamine by mail to Waterloo, Iowa, to his co-defendant, Justin Lee Hanawalt, over the course of a few months. Skalberg has three prior convictions for drug trafficking offenses.
Skalberg was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Skalberg was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Skalberg is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. Justin Lee Hanawalt was previously sentenced to 240 months in federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 22-CR- 2065.
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Business owner sentenced on tax chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Julie Dotton, 51, of Orchard Park, NY, who was convicted of willful failure to truthfully account for and pay over employment taxes, was sentenced four years’ probation, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Dotton was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,585,538 to the IRS and $117,277 to the SBA.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., who handled the case, stated that Dotton was the President, CEO, and majority shareholder of Applied Sciences Group (ASG), a technology business that largely developed software. She was also the founding partner of the partnership KRP Holdings (KRP). By law, businesses must account for income tax, social security tax, and a hospital insurance (Medicare) tax in the wages of individual employees, equal to a percentage of the wages earned by the employee. These taxes are commonly referred to as “trust fund taxes” because employers hold these taxes in trust for the government. For all of 2018 and three quarters of 2019, Dotton failed to pay over the trust fund taxes to the IRS on behalf of the employees of ASG and KRP, resulting in a loss of approximately $1,100,837 to IRS. Dotton also admitted that she obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the federal government in the amount of $117,277, to which she was not entitled.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Thomas Fattorusso.
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Buffalo man sentenced for his role in narcotics conspiracy that led to an overdose deathRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven Gonzalez a/k/a Steven Hernandez, a/k/a Steve, a/k/a Stevie, a/k/a Unc, 47, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of narcotics conspiracy, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Gonzalez was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $7,058.60 to the family of overdose victim L.K.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case stated that between June 2019, and September 2019, Gonzalez conspired with others to sell heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. During the conspiracy, Gonzalez sold quantities of heroin and fentanyl for profit, with the assistance of a known co-conspirator identified CC-1. CC-1 arranged drug deals and drove Gonzalez to drug deals, and Gonzalez provided CC-1 with heroin/fentanyl for CC-1’s personal use. On July 17, 2019, CC-1 made a controlled call to Gonzalez regarding CC-1’s sworn testimony related to the overdose of a person identified as L.K. CC-1 told Gonzalez that CC-1 believed that investigators did not believe CC-1’s false story accusing a source of supply named “Freddy.” Gonzalez told CC-1 to “stick to the same story that you’ve been telling them.” On September 24, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at West Avenue residence, during which they recovered approximately 19 grams of heroin from Gonzalez’s possession. Gonzalez utilized the West Avenue residence to facilitate his drug trafficking activities.
In April 2022, Gonzalez was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking by coercion, and drug distribution charges. Those charges remain pending.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
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Brooklyn Park Man Pleads Guilty to $2.3M Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST PAUL, Minn. – A Brooklyn Park man has pleaded guilty to facilitating a national romance fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, beginning in May 2018 through June 2022, Dodzi Kwame Kordorwu, 37, helped facilitate an online romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on perpetrators impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person, such as a senior U.S. diplomat or military official, that contacted the victims through online social media applications. The scheme participants then sought to forge a romantic connection with the victims. If successful, the scheme participants would then ask the victims for money purportedly to assist the false persona with some problem or need. Occasionally, the scheme participants would even introduce the victims to a purported third-party intermediary who would corroborate the false persona’s story and assist in defrauding the victims. The victims eventually were directed to send large sums of money by mail or other commercial means to a specified name and address.
In total, Kordorwu received over 90 victim packages containing approximately $2,231,998 in fraud proceeds throughout the scheme. Kordorwu kept some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and disbursed the remainder of the proceeds to other scheme participants.
Kordorwu pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of mail fraud in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and a Digital Forensic Investigator with Hennepin County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis are prosecuting the case.